jewish studies lecture series
The Hebrew Teacher
Thursday, April 17, 2025
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
online only
Maya Arad, Ph.D.
America-based Israeli author, Taub Center for Jewish Studies, Stanford University
The Hebrew Teacher is a collection of three novellas, each centering on an Israeli woman whose life was altered by immigration to the US. Ilana is a veteran Hebrew instructor at a Midwestern college, who finds herself at odds with a new hire, a young Israeli professor with radical views. Miriam, whose son left Israel to make his fortune in Silicon Valley, pays an unwanted visit to meet her new grandson and discovers cracks in the family’s perfect façade. Efrat, an Israeli in California, is determined to help her American-born daughter navigate the challenges of middle school, and crosses forbidden lines when she follows her into the minefield of social media.
In these three stirring novellas—comedies of manners with an ambitious blend of irony and sensitivity—celebrated Israeli author Maya Arad probes the demise of idealism and the generation gap that her heroines must confront.
This program is an Elizabeth T. and Abram P. Piwosky Memorial Lecture.
Gratz College invites a range of voices to our programs, and the positions expressed by speakers are their own. While not all events aim to represent the full spectrum of perspectives on issues, we encourage thoughtful engagement and respectful dialogue.